Dateline Diamonds

Last updated

Dateline Diamonds
Dateline Diamonds UK 1965 film.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Jeremy Summers
Written by Tudor Gates
(based on an original idea by Harold Shampan)
Produced byHarry Benn
StarringMusical guests:
Small Faces
The Chantelles
Kiki Dee
Mark Richardson
Acting roles:
William Lucas, Kenneth Cope, Conrad Phillips, Patsy Rowlands, Kenny Everett
Cinematography Stephen Dade
Distributed by Rank Organisation
Release date
  • 27 September 1965 (1965-09-27)
Running time
73 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Dateline Diamonds is a 1965 black and white British music film directed by Jeremy Summers and starring William Lucas, Kenneth Cope and the Small Faces. [1]

Contents

It is an example of the "pop and cop" genre of film, which was popular in the UK during the early 1960s and was intended to present young musical talents to the teenage market. The film was a low-budget B movie and was released as a supporting feature to Doctor in Clover (1966). [2] [3]

Plot

Major Fairclough is linked to an international criminal gang that uses the MV Galaxy (the ship which was the home of the pirate radio station Radio London) to smuggle stolen diamonds from the UK to Amsterdam. Fairclough blackmails Lester Benson, the fictitious manager of the Small Faces, into aiding and abetting his crimes. [4]

Production

The film features the original lineup of the British band the Small Faces (Jimmy Winston was replaced in 1966 by Ian McLagan). The band's manager, Don Arden, arranged for the Small Faces to appear in the film as a promotional vehicle for "I've Got Mine", the follow-up to their debut hit single "Whatcha Gonna Do About It". However, the film's release was delayed and the band received no other publicity for the single, which failed to chart. The final sequence, showing Rey Anton and Pro Forma, Mark Richardson and the Small Faces performing on stage, was filmed during a genuine Radio London night at the Rank Ballroom in Watford.

The film was made at Pinewood Studios and on location.

Dateline Diamonds has been released on VHS and DVD.

Cast list

Guest Artistes

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "An uninspired attempt to capture two markets by combining sleuthing with pop music. Neither element is in any way distinguished, and the intervals for music merely slow down the detection," [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Carry On</i> (franchise) Sequence of 31 British comedy films

Carry On is a British comedy franchise comprising 31 films, four Christmas specials, a television series and stage shows produced between 1958 and 1992. Produced by Peter Rogers, the Carry On films were directed by Gerald Thomas and starred a regular ensemble that included Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Kenneth Connor, Peter Butterworth, Hattie Jacques, Terry Scott, Bernard Bresslaw, Barbara Windsor, Jack Douglas, and Jim Dale. The humour of Carry On was in the British comic tradition of music hall and bawdy seaside postcards. The success of the films led to several spin-offs, including four Christmas television specials (1969–1973), a 1975 television series of 13 episodes, a West End stage show and two provincial summer shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small Faces</span> English rock band

The Small Faces were an English rock band from London, founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966. The band were one of the most acclaimed and influential mod groups of the 1960s, recording hit songs such as "Itchycoo Park", "Lazy Sunday", "All or Nothing" and "Tin Soldier", as well as their concept album Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake. They evolved into one of the UK's most successful psychedelic bands until 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberty Records</span> US and UK record label

Liberty Records was a record label founded in the United States by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Alvin Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenneth Cope</span> British actor (1931–2024)

Kenneth Charles Cope was an English actor and scriptwriter. He was best known for his roles as Marty Hopkirk in Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), Jed Stone in Coronation Street, Ray Hilton in Brookside, Sid in The Damned and as a minor member of the Carry On team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiki Dee</span> English pop singer (born 1947)

Pauline Matthews, better known by her stage name Kiki Dee, is an English pop singer. Known for her blue-eyed soul vocals, she was the first female singer from the UK to sign with Motown's Tamla Records.

<i>Doctor in the House</i> (film) 1954 British film by Ralph Thomas

Doctor in the House is a 1954 British comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Dirk Bogarde, Kenneth More, Donald Sinden, Donald Houston and James Robertson Justice. It was produced by Betty Box. The screenplay, by Nicholas Phipps, Richard Gordon and Ronald Wilkinson, is based on the 1952 novel Doctor in the House by Gordon, and follows a group of students through medical school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Winston</span> British musician (1945–2020)

James Edward Winston Langwith, known professionally as Jimmy Winston, was an English musician and actor. He was the original keyboard player with Small Faces. Winston had apparently previously worked under the stage name James Moody.

<i>Carry On Constable</i> 1960 British comedy film by Gerald Thomas

Carry On Constable is a 1960 British comedy film, the fourth in the series of 31 Carry On films (1958–1992). It was released in February 1960. Of the regular team, it featured Kenneth Connor, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, and Hattie Jacques. Sid James makes his debut in the series here, while early regulars Leslie Phillips, Eric Barker, and Shirley Eaton also turn up, although Phillips did not appear again in the series for 32 years. It was the first "Carry On..." film to include some nudity with Connor, Hawtrey, Williams, and Phillips baring their behinds during a shower scene. The film was followed by Carry On Regardless 1961.

<i>Carry On Matron</i> 1972 British comedy film by Gerald Thomas

Carry On Matron is a 1972 British comedy film, the 23rd release in the series of 31 Carry On films (1958–1992). It was released in May 1972. It was directed by Gerald Thomas and features series regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Hattie Jacques, Bernard Bresslaw, Barbara Windsor and Kenneth Connor. This was the last Carry on... film for Terry Scott after appearing in seven films. Carry On Matron was the second and last Carry On... for Kenneth Cope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shirley Anne Field</span> English actress (1936–2023)

Shirley Anne Field was an English actress who performed on stage, film and television from 1955 until her death. She was prominent during the British New Wave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeremy Summers</span> British film and TV director (1931–2016)

Jeremy Summers was a British television director and film director, known for directing television series such as The Saint and films such as Five Golden Dragons, The House of 1,000 Dolls, and The Vengeance of Fu Manchu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanda Godsell</span> English actress (1922–1990)

Vanda Godsell was an English actress. Hal Erickson writes in Allmovie, "Vanda Godsell specialised in playing disheveled housewives, busybody landladies and blowsy domestics." She appeared as Mrs Weaver in This Sporting Life (1963), Mrs Pitt in Bitter Harvest (1965), and Mrs Goodge in The Wrong Box (1967).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I've Got Mine</span> 1965 single by Small Faces

"I've Got Mine" was the second official song released by the English rock band Small Faces in 1965. The song failed to chart despite receiving favourable reviews in the British music press.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marianne Stone</span> English actress (1922–2009)

Marianne Stone was an English character actress. She performed in films from the early 1940s to the late 1980s, typically playing working class parts such as barmaids, secretaries and landladies. Stone appeared in nine of the Carry On films, and took part in an episode of the Carry On Laughing television series. She also had supporting roles with comedian Norman Wisdom.

<i>Doctor in Clover</i> 1966 British film by Ralph Thomas

Doctor in Clover is a 1966 British comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Leslie Phillips, James Robertson Justice and Shirley Anne Field. The film is based on the 1960 novel of the same title by Richard Gordon. It is the sixth of the seven films in the Doctor series.

<i>Doctor in Trouble</i> 1970 British film by Ralph Thomas

Doctor in Trouble is a 1970 British comedy film, the seventh and last film in the Doctor series. It was directed by Ralph Thomas and stars Leslie Phillips as a doctor who gets accidentally trapped on an outgoing cruise ship while it begins a round the world trip. The cast was rounded out by a number of British comedy actors including James Robertson Justice, Harry Secombe and Angela Scoular. It was based on the 1961 novel Doctor on Toast by Richard Gordon.

<i>Raising the Wind</i> (1961 film) 1961 British film by Gerald Thomas

Raising the Wind is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Gerald Thomas and starring James Robertson Justice, Leslie Phillips, Kenneth Williams, Liz Fraser, Eric Barker and Sid James. The storyline, screenplay and musical score of the film were by Bruce Montgomery.

<i>White Corridors</i> 1951 British film by Pat Jackson

White Corridors is a 1951 British drama film directed by Pat Jackson and starring Googie Withers, Godfrey Tearle, James Donald and Petula Clark. It is based on the 1944 novel Yeoman's Hospital by Helen Ashton.

<i>Treasure Hunt</i> (1952 film) 1952 British film by John Paddy Carstairs

Treasure Hunt is a 1952 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Martita Hunt, Jimmy Edwards, Naunton Wayne and Athene Seyler. It is based on the 1949 play Treasure Hunt by Molly Keane and John Perry.

This is a summary of 1966 in music in the United Kingdom.

References

  1. "Dateline Diamonds". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  2. Supporting Doctor in Clover Radio London, Retrieved 11/10/07
  3. "Doctor in Clover 1966". Archived from the original on 4 October 2007. Retrieved 12 October 2007. Doctor in Clover Retrieved 11/10/07
  4. Film review Retrieved 11/10/07
  5. "Dateline Diamonds". The Monthly Film Bulletin . 33 (384): 22. 1 January 1966 via ProQuest.